Marseille put on a second half clinic to cruise into the French Cup last 32 with a 6-0 demolition of third tier Bourg Peronnas on Sunday, while Monaco had to battle hard to edge past Ligue 1 rivals Auxerre.
It was comfortable in the end for Roberto De Zerbi’s side, but they were made to wait for the floodgates to open. Captain Leonardo Balerdi nodded them ahead early, but a pesky Bourg Peronnas side held firm until the hour mark. That’s when Mason Greenwood struck, latching onto a clever cut back to double the lead and effectively kill the tie.
From there, it was a procession. Pierre Emile Hojbjerg thumped in a third, substitutes Igor Paixao and Bilal Nadir got in on the act, and teenager Tadjidine Mmadi capped the scoring late on. For a club that’s won this trophy ten times but not since 1989, it was a statement of intent, even against modest opposition.
“It wasn’t perfect, but it was a good match,” admitted De Zerbi. “It was only 1-0 at half time and the cup can throw up some nasty surprises. I was fearing this match, but we had the right approach in the end.”
Over at the Stade Raymond Kopa in Angers, Monaco had a far tougher time of it in their all top flight clash. Two goals from Danish striker Mika Biereth one in each half were just enough to see off a stubborn Auxerre 2-1 and book their place in the next round.
Elsewhere, there was much needed relief for crisis club Nice, who ended a horrific run of nine straight defeats by battling past Ligue 2 side Saint Etienne 2-1. Strasbourg also navigated a tricky tie, winning 2-1 at second division Dunkerque, while Nantes were involved in a goal fest, coming out 5-3 winners at third tier Concarneau.
The results set up a fascinating draw for the last 32, with Marseille looking like a side nobody will want to face. For now, De Zerbi will be pleased his team avoided a banana skin and found their ruthless streak when it mattered. The long wait for cup glory goes on, but this was a step in the right direction.
